Tilling up the past at antique tractor show

ELIOT, Maine — Just inside the gates at the Raitt Homestead Farm Museum, a small cabin was filled with photos and memorabilia in remembrance of the patriarch of the family, Nelson Raitt, who died in November 2013.

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By Suzanne Laurent

seacoastonline.com

By Suzanne Laurent

Posted Jul. 26, 2014 at 5:58 PM
Updated Jul 26, 2014 at 6:04 PM

By Suzanne Laurent

Posted Jul. 26, 2014 at 5:58 PM
Updated Jul 26, 2014 at 6:04 PM

» Social News

ELIOT, Maine — Just inside the gates at the Raitt Homestead Farm Museum, a small cabin was filled with photos and memorabilia in remembrance of the patriarch of the family, Nelson Raitt, who died in November 2013.

“The show is dedicated to him this year,” said his son Albert Raitt of Eliot on Saturday. “He built that cabin for the first show we had here on the farm.”

It was the 19th annual Raitt Homestead Farm Museum's Tractor & Engine held on the grounds of the farm on State Road and it continues on Sunday.

Albert Raitt was joined by his grandson Aiden Raitt, 9, of Libson Falls, as he drove a 1959 blue Ford Dexta to join in the popular tractor parade Saturday afternoon. Tractors of all sizes and shapes made a procession around the show, each bearing a paper pie plate with a number on it.

“We've had more than 100 tractors enter the parade this year,” said Lisa Raitt, event coordinator. Her husband Tom Raitt is a nephew of Nelson, and the couple take care of the 33-acre property and are restoring the old homestead where they live.

Tom was busy Saturday afternoon towing children around the grounds in a “train” he made with eight cars out of metal barrels, painted in the colors of eight different tractor makers.

Lisa Raitt said in addition to the cabin filled with Nelson's photos, a slideshow of his life was also being shown during the three-day event that began Friday.

“We showed it last night for the first time, and it was emotional,” she said.

Two of Albert's daughters, Shannon Florio of Rochester, N.H., and Tara Kenney of Eliot, put posters of photos of Nelson Raitt from the family's collection that were on display in the cabin.

Lisa Raitt said people come from as far as Florida for the annual show that features pancake breakfasts, a ladies skillet toss, antique stone boat tractor pulling, wood splitting and live entertainment.

The grounds were full of antique farming machines as well and classic tractors. Vendors on lanes named for engines offered tractor parts, small gasoline engines, tools, glass insulators, repair manuals and more. Others displayed their collections of spark plugs, model stationary steam engines and more tractor accessories.

For a lot of the kids, though, it was all about the tractors. Paul and Jennifer Carter of Middleboro, Mass., came with their children Adeline, 21 months, and Andrew, 3.

“Our family owns a farm, so Andrew is used to seeing some of the equipment,” Paul Carter said. “But he is really looking forward to the parade.”

Lisa Raitt said proceeds from the event will go to the upkeep of the 14 buildings on the farm museum's grounds.

“We are also planning to build a blacksmith shop in the future,” she said. “And we have created a nature trail that will be open soon.”

Raitt said students from Berwick Academy in South Berwick, the Waldorf School in Eliot and the Timberland Kids painted clay pots in the spring that line the trail.

Sunday will feature another tractor parade at 11:30 a.m. There is also the kids' pedal tractor pull, transfer sled pulling, displays and raffles. The grounds close at 3 p.m.

The Raitt Homestead Farm Museum is at 2077 State Road (Route 103) just off Route 236. Admission is $6 per person with children 12 and under admitted for free. Parking is free. For more information, call (207) 748-3303, or visit www.raittfarmmuseum.org/index.html.